Don't Reinstate the Draft
On the eve of Mother's Day, a holiday with its origins rooted in the peace movement, it's hard to believe that chatter to reinstate the draft appears to be gaining momentum by the day.
A return to the draft is not the answer to our problems in Iraq.
In times of great national purpose, such as World War II, an all-inclusive draft (with exceptions for conscientious objectors) is the right way to share fairly the burden of a rapidly expanding military. However, the current war with Iraq is not such a time.
Today, the Bush administration presides over an increasingly unpopular war that has strained to the breaking point our military's capacity. Rather than admit to a failed invasion of Iraq, the administration's approach (resorting to extremely aggressive corporate outsourcing of jobs and aggressive call ups of both the National Guard and Reserve) is busting the budget and is unsustainable.
While the Bush administration publicly opposes reinstatement of the draft, the Selective Service System has quietly begun planning in case it is needed, and growing numbers in Congress are calling on the President to begin to prepare the public for the need. With an election a few months away, it is hardly surprising that an administration that won't even include the real cost of the occupation of Iraq in its proposed budget is unwilling to discuss renewing the draft.
Urge your representatives in Congress to face honestly the human and budgetary costs of our occupation of Iraq but also let them know that you oppose reinstituting the draft. A far better alternative for relieving the strain on our military would be to create a strong strategic plan to leave Iraq and to bring in military forces from other countries.
Jennifer Willis
Director
ActForChange.com
